GB2399482A

GB2399482A - Folding angling stand

Info

Publication number: GB2399482A
Application number: GB0306614A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin David Locke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-21
Filing date: 2003-03-21
Publication date: 2004-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2023-03-21
Also published as: GB0306614D0; GB2399482B

Abstract

The stand (20) for supporting at least two fishing rods comprises a frame (24), at least two spaced-apart support members (26) which are pivotally attached to the frame (24) so that the support members (26) are foldable between use and non-use positions, and a top cross member (40) which is attachable between the top parts (42) of the support members (26). The top cross member (40) is removable from the support members (26) in order to facilitate the folding of the support members (26) to their non-use positions. The frame (24) may comprise a pair of bars 30, 32 which cross each other at a central pivotal connection 34.

Description

1 2399482

A STAND FOR

SUPPORTING AT LEAST TWO FISHING RODS

This invention relates to a stand for supporting at least two fishing rods.

Known stands for supporting at least two fishing rods generally comprise a plurality of legs for engaging the ground, and a frame with some kind of arrangement for supporting the fishing rods. The known stands are often unstable in use, and may also exhibit a tendency to twist.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a stand for supporting at least two fishing rods, which stand comprises a frame, at least two spaced-apart support members which upstand from the frame during use of the stand and which are pivotally attached to the frame so that the support members are foldable between use and non-use positions, and a top cross member which extends between the support members at top parts of the support members when the support members are in their use positions, and the top cross member being removable from the support members in order to facilitate the folding of the supports members to their non-use positions.

The stand is stable in use and it does not exhibit a tendency to twist.

Preferably, the stand is one in which the support members fold along top of the frame when the stand is not in use. This ensures that the support members occupy minimum space in their folded condition.

Depending upon the construction of the support member, the support member may be pivotally attached to the frame at one or more points.

Preferably, the pivotal attachment is effected by one or more pivot pins.

Other types of pivots may be employed so that, for example, the pivotal attachment may be effected by one or more ball joints.

The frame may comprise a pair of bars which cross each other at a central part of the bars.

The bars may be pivotally connected to each other where they cross so that the frame is foldable to an open position when the stand is to be used, and the frame is foldable to a closed position when the stand is not to be used.

With the cross type of frame, the stand may be one in which there are two of the support members at a front part of the frame, and two of the support members at a rear part of the frame. When the support members are joined by the top cross member, the construction looks like a goal post.

Such a construction enables two, three or more of the fishing rods easily to be supported on the stand.

The stand is preferably made from stainless steel, thereby enabling the stand to be produced as a precision engineered item with an extremely long life even under rough conditions of use. Other materials may however be employed if desired.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a known stand for supporting at least two fishing rods; Figure 2 shows a stand of the invention for supporting at least two fishing rods; Figure 3 shows a pivoting hinge for connecting a support member to part of a frame; and Figure 4 shows how the frame folds.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a stand 2 for supporting at least two fishing rods 3. The stand 2 comprises a plurality of legs 4 for engaging ground. The stand 2 also comprises a frame 6 and two support members 8 which upstand from the frame 6 during use of the stand 2. The support members 8 are pivotally attached to the frame by pivots 10 so that the support members 8 are foldable when the stand 2 is not in use.

The stand 2 may be rested on hard ground, or the legs 4 may be pushed into soft ground. After use, the support members 8 are folded on top of the frame 6 so that minimum space is occupied by the stand 2 in the folded condition of the support members 8. The legs 4 may themselves be foldable or they may be removable from the remainder of the stand 2 for transportation and storage.

The pivots 10 are ball joint pivots. As can be seen from Figure 1, the stand 2 has three legs at a front part 12 of the stand 2, and three legs at a rear part 14 of the stand 2. The frame 6 extends between the legs 4 at the front and rear parts 12, 14 of the stand 2. The frame 6 is in the form of a single bar. The support members 8 are in the form of single rod members and these single rod members can be like bank sticks with an appropriate top portion for receiving the fishing rods 3. These single rod support members 8 and/or the legs 4 make the stand 2 unstable in use. Also, because the fishing rods 3 are mounted on cross bars 19, there is a tendency for the support members 8 to twist, which adds to the instability of the stand 2.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a stand 20 for supporting a plurality of fishing rods (not shown). The stand 20 comprises a plurality of legs 22 for engaging ground, a frame 24, and four support members 26 which upstand from the frame 24 during use of the stand 20. The support members 26 are pivotally attached to the frame 24 by pivots 28 so that the support members 26 are foldable when the stand 20 is not in use.

The frame 24 comprises a pair of bars 30, 32 which are pivotally connected to each other by a pivot 34. The pivot 34 is located where the bars 30, 32 cross each other so that the frame 24 is foldable to an open position when the stand 20 is to be used, and the frame 24 is foldable to a closed position when the stand 20 is not to be used.

As shown in Figure 2, there are two of the support members 26 at a front part 36 of the frame 24, and two of the support members 26 at a rear part 38 of the frame 24. Each support member 26 is in the form of a rod or a bank stick. Each pair of support members 26 is joined by a top cross member 40 which extends between a top part 42 of the support members s 26. Each pair of support members 26 and the top cross member 40 form a goal post construction. Each top cross member 40 can receive any suitable and appropriate fishing tackle accessories for supporting a plurality of the fishing rods.

The top cross member 42 is separable from the upright members 40 in order to facilitate folding of the stand 20 into a small and compact arrangement. The top cross member 42 is able to be secured to the upright members 40 by any suitable and appropriate connecting means such for example as a screw connecting means.

In use, the stand 20 is stable. The stand 20 does not tend to twist when supporting two or more fishing rods and, for example, one of the fishing rods gets a bite from a fish.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the stand 20 may use any suitable and appropriate pivot joints, although a preferred pivot is the pivot joint 28 shown in Figure 3. This pivot joint 28 pivots on a pin 44. A bore 46 is provided for receiving one end of one of the support members 26. The support member 26 is tightened in the bore 46 by a hand screw 48. The stand of the invention preferably folds as shown in Figure 4 with all the parts parallel to each other. However the stand can be of other designs if desired.

Claims

1. A stand for supporting at least two fishing rods, which stand comprises a frame, at least two spaced-apart support members which upstand from the frame during use of the stand and which are pivotally attached to the frame so that the support members are foldable between use and non-use positions, and a top cross member which extends between the support members at top parts of the support members when the support members are in their use positions, and the top cross member being removable from the support members in order to facilitate the folding of the support members to their non-use positions.

2. A stand according to claim 1 in which the support members fold along parts of the frame when the stand is not in use.

3. A stand according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the pivotal attachment is effected by one or more pivot pins.

4. A stand according to any one of the preceding claims in which the frame comprises a pair of bars which cross each other at a central part of the bars.

5. A stand according to claim 4 in which the bars are pivotally connected to each other where they cross so that the frame is foldable to an open position when the stand is to be used, and the frame is foldable to a closed position when the stand is not to be used.

6. A stand according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are two of the support members at a front part of the frame, and one of the support members at a rear part of the frame.

7. A stand according to any one of the preceding claims in which lower parts of the support members form legs for the frame.

8. A stand for supporting at least two fishing rods, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.